One Thing At A Time...

I was helping a friend organize the other day, and we were joking that we both need to tattoo "one thing at a time" somewhere on our bodies to read it everyday, since we both seem to take on too much at once.  

I don't know if it's the Gemini in me or what (maybe some slight bipolar tendencies?!), but I seem to go from unmotivated, only getting daily functions done (like I talked about in this post)...to really motivated and trying to do 5 projects at once (sometimes successfully!).  

When it comes to decluttering or organizing...I say use those "high energy" times and RUN with them!  When you have momentum on your side, you can get a lot accomplished and it feels good (and motivates you to do more).  It also gets things done so you can have those "stuck in a rut" kind of days and not feel guilty for not getting as much done.

But what happens when you're trying to literally do 5 things at one time?  
Quality is sacrificed for Quantity.

If you've got so much on your plate that you're brushing your teeth while putting your shoes on and making your coffee while texting someone on your phone...maybe it's time to stop and take a breath.
Yes, we all have those "overslept and need to get out the door in 2 minutes" moments...but on a day-to-day basis, it's better to not eat your breakfast while you're running out the door.  (In other words: get out of bed earlier!)

If we can harness our energy and super motivation and funnel it into deliberate, high quality work, we can be efficient and effective (and not give ourselves an ulcer!).  Overall, we'll be more relaxed (our kids will probably fight less!), and we'll still feel accomplished without bulldozing our way through life.

See if you can stop and take a breath today--even just once--and notice what it feels like when you do.

And believe me, this post is written as much for me as it is for you... ;)

(a little motivation for your "stop and breathe" moment)

Molas Lake, near Silverton, CO

Keeping up with the Jones'

I'm just going to come out and say it: stop trying to please other people.

There.  I said it.

This blog is about decluttering, organizing, and simplifying the items in your home...and so, I'll try to keep this post in that frame of reference, but it can apply to so much more in your life (if you want it to).


Let's all take a minute to look around the space we're in right now...
What do you see?
Look at each item and say what it's for and why you have it.  
(you can say it out loud, really...it's ok!)

How many items do you have to please/impress/show off to other people?
I'm talking big and small, old and new, expensive and cheap...all of it.


Now let's take a moment to close our eyes and imagine our space with only the things that we love/need/use.

What does it look like?
How much stuff is missing?  Still there?
How do you feel in this "new" space?


If your 'imagined' space is drastically different from the here-and-now, then you have some work to do.  Don't spend hard-earned money on things that are only being purchased to show off to your friends, family, or heaven-forbid--total strangers!

If you only surround yourself with things that are useful and beautiful to you, your space will feel better, most likely have less clutter, and can make your life easier and more peaceful.

(Obviously if you have a spouse, kids, and/or a roommate, they will have personal things that you can't just get rid of--but a conversation about what you're keeping and what you're not can be a great way to explore the idea of them clearing out some clutter too!)

Stuck in a Rut...

Ugh.  You know those days when you just don't want to do anything?!

When the sun doesn't come out, I have those days.  (I'm grateful we live in Colorado and get 300 days of sunshine per year!)

If you get stuck in a rut when it comes to decluttering, organizing, well...anything, really (exercising, healthy eating, reading more--whatever it is!)...it helps to do just one thing.

One.

Take out the garbage.
Clean off the 101 paintings the kids hung on the fridge.
Pick out 5 shirts you don't wear and take them to the thrift store.

The one thing can kick-start the snowball effect to complete a bigger task (or 2!).

You may find that you take out the garbage and before you realize it, you're cleaning up all of the kids' toys in the yard...or loading old toys into the car to donate.  If you take down old paintings that are so cleverly crowding the outside of your fridge, you might end up cleaning the inside (and top, bottom, and sides) of your fridge as well.  Those 5 shirts could end up being accompanied to the thrift store by 5 pants, 5 shoes, and some dresses...

Or maybe not.

Maybe all you do is that one thing you started doing and it doesn't go anywhere after that.  And that's ok too...because at least you got that one thing done.  It's like taking that first step that leads to running a marathon (which I would know nothing about--but have heard stories about people doing that!)...one thing can lead to many more things.

This post today is my one thing.

It's a cold, dreary day (after yesterday felt like summer in March!)...and this is probably all that I will get done today outside of normal daily functions.  But this will be my "funk" day, and tomorrow will be more productive, because it's just one day.

The next time you're in a funk--try doing just one thing--and see what happens.

Deeper than physical clutter...

I think it's safe to say that we *all* have some clutter in our homes.
(That's why you're reading a blog called Simplify Your Stuff, right?)

So really, it's not necessarily if, but how much clutter you have that's an issue.  Unless you live alone in the woods where no one ever comes to visit you--ever--your clutter effects other people. Or maybe you're the one living with someone who has too much clutter...

In an article last year in the Wall Street Journal, titled The Psychology of Clutter, one line really resonated with me: 
'What matters is whether your habits distress you or others.'

This is when "stuff" turns into "chaos."  If you're feeling overwhelmed by piles of stuff, or bills that are overdue because you misplaced them, or find yourself running late because you can't find what you're looking for...you could be sabotaging yourself with stuff.

Things don't magically appear in your home.
You bring them in (or don't decline when others give them to you).

So the first thing to do when trying to get a grip on so much stuff: stop bringing more home!

The next step is to start clearing out the things you aren't using consistently...and to listen to the voice in your head when deciding what to do with each item:

"I might need this someday"
"________ could use this, I'll save it for her/him"
"I paid _____ amount for this, I can't just give it away"
"I might fit into this {shirt/dress/jeans/bathing suit} again one day"
"This was ______'s when s/he was a baby!"
"My mother gave me this before she passed away"
"I better save this for _________"
"This isn't trash, I'm not sending it to the landfill"
"My (spouse) would kill me if I got rid of this!"
"OH! I was looking for this!"
"Little _______ made this when s/he was ___ years old!"
"I owe how much on this credit card?"
"When we move, I will use this"
"We have the space to store this, no need to get rid of it"
"My kids will want this some day"
"______ gave me this as a gift, so I must keep it"
"I plan on fixing this and using it soon"
"This is worth some money--I'm going to sell it!"
"What if I want this after I get rid of it?"
"This is my favorite color...I have to keep it"

Clearing out your physical clutter is easy compared to dealing with the mental clutter surrounding the physical clutter!  Notice what you tell yourself, and see if you can replace your "need" to keep it, with a reason to let go of it (someone else can use it, a non-profit can use it/sell it/repurpose it, you'll have more free space without it, etc).

If bringing items into your home is a habit (shopping, thrifting, etc), you'll have to replace that habit with something else.  Volunteering {the time you would've spent shopping} at a local non-profit is an excellent way to help others in your community, keep money in your wallet, and stuff out of your home!

What's your biggest "reason to keep" something that you battle?

What to do with all of those books?!

I'm a big fan of libraries...you can pick out a book you like, read it, and then return it.  
There's no buying, storing, moving, or dealing with the book once you've finished it.

Kids' books are another story...they have their favorites that they read 1,000,001 times.  
They're attached to them (heck, you're attached to them!).

The books themselves don't take up that much space, but the bookshelves can become a little unruly, to the say the least!

If one of your "problem" areas is books--specifically kids' books--try this out:
Store them vertically.  Yes, vertically, as in moving up a wall instead of spreading across the wall in a low, bulky bookshelf.  (I know, I know, you can get "tall" bookshelves--but kids' can't reach the ones on the top!)

Below are 2 images to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.  If you're at a loss when it comes to all the books in your home, sort through them and get rid of as many as you can (then use the library more!), and store the rest in a vertical storage system!

From messy bookshelf 

(where the books were literally thrown on the shelves), 

to organized, vertical hanging storage!

A pallet DIY project: vertical book storage!

(cloth is stapled to the front & back to create the pockets)

I'd love to see what you come up with!  Post your creative book storage system on the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/simplifyyourstuff